The invention relates to a mold link of a caterpillar type mold for a machine for continuous casting metal, in which the said mold link features a plate forming the actual work face of the mold.
Such casting machines are presently finding increasing use for the continuous casting of aluminum and steel strips; they are, however, also useable for casting other metals. The molten metal is conducted via a trough into a tundish, and from there passed through a nozzle into the mold gap between two caterpillar type molds. These caterpillar type molds, described in simplified terms, comprise an upper and lower belt on which a plurality of block-like mold links are arranged. In the actual region of the mold gap these mold links lie close together; in the curved regions on the other hand they lie wide open. Provided with the mold gap are cooling facilities, in particular facilities for cooling the mold work face. In the mold gap this work face reaches a temperature of approximately 400.degree. C. and, before it re-enters the mold gap, is cooled again to about 80.degree.-100.degree. C. It is easy to appreciate that such temperature changes over short distances result in very high thermal stressing of the mold work face or of the plate bearing that work face. It is in fact subjected to thermal deformation in all directions.
Bowing of the plate has been countered so far e.g. by mounting the plate on a clamping facility which supports in particular the very highly stressed parts of the plate. The plate, however, expands also in the mold gap as it is heated to about 400.degree. C. with the result that there two plates, which from the start lie very close together in order to produce a high quality surface, press hard against each other with increasing force. The consequence is that the touching longitudinal edges yield at the work face and are pushed up forming a jagged profile facing in towards the mold gap. This deformation is then transferred to the surface of the cast strip, thus deminishing the quality of that surface.
The object of the present invention is to develop a mold link of the kind mentioned above but such that the work face of the mold does not deform, and thus corresponding flaws on the surface of the cast strip are avoided.